Foster Dragon

[fandomherps]

I have had a foster dragon for about two months. She is about 6 months now. She got picked on when she was little by the other beardies so she has a stubbed tail. Since she was picked on, my boss(a large scale reptile breeder and store owner) put her into the back room in a tank that had other beardies that got picked on. Jeff was going to keep this one as a breeder, so I decided that I would spoil her and get some weight and strength back into her. She was in maybe a twenty gallon with a bunch of other babies. I took her home and put her in my 50 gallon breeder with my other two dragons-who are about 9 months but are still about the same size as the foster. The problem I have had is that she isn't gaining weight(pretty much a constant 72g), isnt growing, and still isn't that strong or muscular. When you pick her up she just feels...flat. She is responsive and everything and I have the proper heating and lighting and food/vitamin requirements and several seperate spots for her to bask but she hasn't really been eating. She eats maybe 4 superworms a day and almost no greens. I'm trying other feeders but I don't know what to do. I am looking into getting this http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19702

I am going to a reptile show today so I'll ask around. I'll see if I can post some pics of the dragon.

 

[fandomherps]

http://instagram.com/p/o2ITh3A7UJ/?modal=true <First Day
http://instagram.com/p/o_wwMhA7Vo/?modal=true <Attempting to jump start her appetite naturally
http://instagram.com/p/pAewPXA7TV/?modal=true <She's sleeping in the middle
http://instagram.com/p/qfHYPng7Wg/?modal=true <In the middle, just for size comparison

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....she's cute, that's for sure ! I would say that since she has had the experience of being bitten already, she will naturally feel uncomfortable with other dragons. Dragons don't always cower or show outright fear when they're stressed, but what they will do is not eat , or at least not eat as much. And some beardies go through " relocation stress" when in a new home whether they are housed alone or not. So far she's been to 3 different housing arrangements so she's bound to not feel too settled. If you could keep her on her own, out of view of the others, her appetite may pick up. Try other insects as well....crickets, dubia, hornworms.

Keep in mind too, that all dragons can become biters [ of their tankmates ], so be careful of your other two. They all look very good by the way.

 

[fandomherps]

Yeah if I had the space and money I would totally get her a cage for herself. She does seem to enjoy having the others around-just because it is what she grew up with. I figured her being in a 50 gallon tank with two very very docile dragons who have lived with no incidents since they've been together would be better than like a 15 gallon with >15 youngish dragons in it. I take the other two dragons out of the cage to feed her and she seems to have become very accustomed to the routine and other dragons. Now I'm dealing with diarrhea from her :x I need to figure out how to fix up her system-fast. She still basks and the dragons seem to respect each other while basking(i don't even know how or why but they don't try to climb on top of the dragon with the "best" basking spot). I just don't know what to do. She lost 3 grams since wednesday(plus we had weighed her on Wed after she took a dump in the bath.) today we weighed her after she ate. Any suggestions?

 

[sue09]

The problem you have is if she is sick you could well have passed whatever it is to your other dragons,not a good idea. She needs to be on her own to stand any chance at all.

 

[fandomherps]

The problem you have is if she is sick you could well have passed whatever it is to your other dragons,not a good idea. She needs to be on her own to stand any chance at all.

She doesn't appear to be sick or in any way unhealthy besides her lack of eating. Plus my dragons have shown no problems whatsoever in the last two months(they are very healthy and have had a lot of exposure to many places and reptiles so they seem to have pretty strong immune systems). She is just weak from having a lack of food. I can't put her in another tank-if I could, I would. This is the best that I can give her. At least she is with only two dragons and she is being hand fed-which would not happen if she was back in the baby/juvenile cage. I am bringing her to my boss today so we can try other types of feeders. I also just ordered Flukers Repta+Boost Insectivore/Carnivore Formula as well as Zilla Jump Start Supplement & Appetite Stimulant. I'm trying as much as I can and I'll just see what I can do.